BackTrack by Bushnell

What it is: A simplified GPS/compass device that lets you mark three locations, then points the way back and tells you how far to the destinations. Two AAA batteries provide the power. How it works: Let's say you have parked your car in a massive airport parking lot. Before leaving your car behind, you push a button to mark your location. When you return from the islands, drunk with sunny memories, you simply turn on the device and it will point the way to your car. Another scenario: You're at a huge flea market and find an antique railroad lamp you want but haven't shopped the whole fair. You push the button to mark your spot, browse the fair and let the device later lead you back to the lamp. This also would be a godsend for wilderness backpackers who want to mark their camp. The good: Weighing a measly 6 ounces and being only 3 1/2 inches in diameter, this easily slips into a pocket or hangs from its lanyard. Bulk won't be a problem, and it's exceptionally easy to use. To test this, I instructed my assistant (that's not what she calls herself) to take a penny into our neighborhood and place it on the pavement somewhere, and mark the spot with the BackTrack. She almost did as instructed but instead planted the penny in a patch of gravel. In a matter of minutes I found the 3-by-15-foot patch of gravel about half a mile away, but my eyes aren't good enough to find a penny in gravel. The device worked very well; my assistant had a lapse. The bad: This supplies distance "as the crow flies," so though you may zigzag four miles on a trail, it might tell you the distance is just three. This does not provide a map, so in a backwoods trip involving canoes or kayaks, you may want to mark portages in addition to your camp, but there are only three location settings on the device. If you have more than two portages, you may have navigation problems. And though it's great for finding your parked car, it will not pick up signals in a parking garage. Cost: $79.95 Available from: Hammacher Schlemmer at Hammacher.com --Ross Werland

What it is: A simplified GPS/compass device that lets you mark three locations, then points the way back and tells you how far to the destinations. Two AAA batteries provide the power. How it works: Let's say you have parked your car in a massive airport parking lot. Before leaving your car behind, you push a button to mark your location. When you return from the islands, drunk with sunny memories, you simply turn on the device and it will point the way to your car. Another scenario: You're at a huge flea market and find an antique railroad lamp you want but haven't shopped the whole fair. You push the button to mark your spot, browse the fair and let the device later lead you back to the lamp. This also would be a godsend for wilderness backpackers who want to mark their camp. The good: Weighing a measly 6 ounces and being only 3 1/2 inches in diameter, this easily slips into a pocket or hangs from its lanyard. Bulk won't be a problem, and it's exceptionally easy to use. To test this, I instructed my assistant (that's not what she calls herself) to take a penny into our neighborhood and place it on the pavement somewhere, and mark the spot with the BackTrack. She almost did as instructed but instead planted the penny in a patch of gravel. In a matter of minutes I found the 3-by-15-foot patch of gravel about half a mile away, but my eyes aren't good enough to find a penny in gravel. The device worked very well; my assistant had a lapse. The bad: This supplies distance "as the crow flies," so though you may zigzag four miles on a trail, it might tell you the distance is just three. This does not provide a map, so in a backwoods trip involving canoes or kayaks, you may want to mark portages in addition to your camp, but there are only three location settings on the device. If you have more than two portages, you may have navigation problems. And though it's great for finding your parked car, it will not pick up signals in a parking garage. Cost: $79.95 Available from: Hammacher Schlemmer at Hammacher.com --Ross Werland

What it is: A simplified GPS/compass device that lets you mark three locations, then points the way back and tells you how far to the destinations. Two AAA batteries provide the power. How it works: Let's say you have parked your car in a massive airport parking lot. Before leaving your car behind, you push a button to mark your location. When you return from the islands, drunk with sunny memories, you simply turn on the device and it will point the way to your car. Another scenario: You're at a huge flea market and find an antique railroad lamp you want but haven't shopped the whole fair. You push the button to mark your spot, browse the fair and let the device later lead you back to the lamp. This also would be a godsend for wilderness backpackers who want to mark their camp. The good: Weighing a measly 6 ounces and being only 3 1/2 inches in diameter, this easily slips into a pocket or hangs from its lanyard. Bulk won't be a problem, and it's exceptionally easy to use. To test this, I instructed my assistant (that's not what she calls herself) to take a penny into our neighborhood and place it on the pavement somewhere, and mark the spot with the BackTrack. She almost did as instructed but instead planted the penny in a patch of gravel. In a matter of minutes I found the 3-by-15-foot patch of gravel about half a mile away, but my eyes aren't good enough to find a penny in gravel. The device worked very well; my assistant had a lapse. The bad: This supplies distance "as the crow flies," so though you may zigzag four miles on a trail, it might tell you the distance is just three. This does not provide a map, so in a backwoods trip involving canoes or kayaks, you may want to mark portages in addition to your camp, but there are only three location settings on the device. If you have more than two portages, you may have navigation problems. And though it's great for finding your parked car, it will not pick up signals in a parking garage. Cost: $79.95 Available from: Hammacher Schlemmer at Hammacher.com --Ross Werland